Paladins come back to upset Lakers 6-5 OT
If you wanted to see goals, North Bay Memorial Gardens was the place to be Saturday night as the Nipissing Lakers hosted the RMC Paladins to kick off the 2015-16 season.
If you wanted to see goals, North Bay Memorial Gardens was the place to be Saturday night as the Nipissing Lakers hosted the RMC Paladins to kick off the 2015-16 season.
The teams combined for 11 goals and 68 shots and in what seemed to be a 'last goal wins,' the Paladins came away with the victory, as they edged the Lakers 6-5 in overtime to begin the year.
Nipissing opened up the scoring and got off to a strong start, taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission and extending that lead to 3-0 midway through the game.
Two goals by Mackenzie Keirstead and one by Jacob Conrad had the Lakers looking good through 30 minutes of play.
RMC, however, as they so often do, fought back and cut the lead to 3-1 before the end of the second period.
Just as RMC gained some momentum, the Lakers took it back with a shorthanded goal with just five seconds remaining in the frame.
It appeared as if the Lakers would cruise to their first victory of the season, but before the third period was half over, the Paladins would score four straight goals – each about three minutes apart, as they turned a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 lead.
Erik Robichaud would score his second goal of the game with three minutes left in the game to tie things up and send the teams to overtime, knotted at five.
Despite numerous chances in the extra frame and a few odd-man rushes, the Lakers were unable to capitalize.
With their lone shot of the period, the Paladins sent home a loud arena home quiet and disappointed, as they found the back of the net to grab the extra point.
Nipissing held the shot advantage through the game, 44-34.
Dane Horvat had three assists, while Keirstead, Robichaud, Conrad and Jacob McDowell each recorded two points in defeat.
The Lakers will be back in action Oct. 14 when they travel to Sudbury to take on the Laurentian Voyageurs.
Source: Nipissing Lakers
